Thomas Dodson (1725 - 1791)

Born 1725 in Chester County, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1791 at about age 66 in Shenandoah, Virginia, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

12 Feb 1787 Sworn Deposition of Thomas Dodson of Shenandoah County, Virginia lists his age and his ties with Chester County PA . Note name is spelled Dotson. "being sixty-two years of age"

Probable Children Based on DNA Research

1. Susannah DODSON married 7 Jun 1775 Joseph HUTCHINSON Loudoun Co., VA
2. Ruth DODSON married 23 Dec 1782 to William WOODS Shenandoah Co., VA
3. William DODSON married about 1782 Rachel MCCARTY
4. Nancy DODSON married 12 May 1785 George PULLEN Shenandoah Co., VA
5. Mary DODSON married 05 Jul 1787 John MILLER Shenandoah Co., VA
6. Thomas DODSON married 14 Sep 1788 Catherine GUNNER Shenandoah Co., VA
7. Richard DOTSON born 23 OCT 1752 Frederick Co., VA

This biography is a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Thomas Dodson, son of Thomas and Mary (Prigg) Dodson, was born in 1725, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. (Egles, Chester, Pennsylvania)^[1] Died after 27 Jan 1791when he deeded land in Shenandoah Co., VA to his son-in-law, George PULLEN.

After reaching manhood and probable marriage, he settled for a time in what is now Lehigh County, and finally, in the latter part of 1700, settled in the western part of the State on a farm near Warrior's Mark, in Huntingdon County. Of his wife and family no data has been obtained except the name and descendants of one son, Richard.

The village of Warriors Mark was founded in 1768 and Warriors Mark Township was formed from Franklin Township 1798.

Property

Thomas Dodson obtained 100 acres of land in Chester County, Pennsylvania on 26 May 1746. His widow brought suit against Thomas Davis for possession of the property.

The following is the report of this lawsuit:^[2]

"Mary Dodson against Thomas Davis.

"Widow not entitled to dower of lands held under warrant, and sold by her husband in 1775.

"Dower of lands in Coventry township, Chester county. Plea ne unques seisie que dower.

"The action was tried before M'Kean, C. J. and Teates, J. at West Chester, May assizes 1794, when the following facts appeared in evidence.

"Thomas Dodson, husband of the demandant, settled on the lands in question, and improved the same several years without an office title.

"On the 26th May 1746, he paid 51. into the receiver general's office, and obtained a warrant for 100 acres of land, and also an order of like date from William Parsons, surveyor general, to have a survey made. On the 14th January 1755, Thomas Dodson entered into an agreement with John Davis, under whom the tenant claims, respecting the sale of the land, in consideration of 1521. 10s., and afterwards received the full amount thereof.

"On the 25th April 1755, a survey of 128 acres and 70 acres of land were made, which was not returned into the surveyor general's office on the 27th March 1788. John Davis, in the same month, paid 361. lis. 6d., the residue of the purchase money, into the office of the receiver general, and on the 27th April 1790, a patent issued to his son, Thomas Davis On the trial it was agreed that a verdict should be entered for the demandant, with six pence damages and six pence costs, subject to the court's opinion on the point reserved, whether the said John Davis had such an estate in the premises as would entitle the demandant to dower.

"Messrs. T. Ross for the demandant and Tilghman for the tenant, submitted the question to the decision of the court, without arguing the same.

"Per curium. Dower must be of a legal estate in the husband. The right which John Davis had to these lands in 1755 cannot be deemed such. Under the customs and established practice of the country, lands warranted and even surveyed, were considered at that early period and afterwards as chattel interests, and sold as such in the course of administration. This doctrine has been established in a variety of cases, and particularly in Duncan's lessee v. Walker, in January term 1793. Judgment therefore must be entered for the tenant."

Thomas Dodson owned 367 acres of land in Shenandoah Co VA which was on Jeremy's Run, which would now be located approximately 2 miles SE of Rileyvillein Page Co Hwy 661 to Hwy 605 than East about 1/2 miles. He sold this land on 12 March 1776 to Ephraim Leith who sold 29 May 1783 to Moses Moody. This is pre-revolutionary war land granted to Thomas Dodson

There is an Indenture for land in Shenandoah County, Virginia - Is this another piece of land or part of an inheritance or . . . ?

1792-97 Deeds Vol K (1795) Shenandoah County, VA

"THIS INDENTURE made the fifth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five Between Josiah Leith and Rachel his wife of Jefferson County Territory (TN) Southwest of the Ohio of the one part and Joseph Howey of the county of Shenandoah in the state of Virginia of the other part Witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of thirty five pounds current money of Virginia to the said Josiah Leith to him in hand paid by the said Joseph Howey at or before the sealing and delivery of these presents the receipt whereof he do

"Hereby acknowledge and thereof doth release acquit and discharge the said Joseph Howey his heirs executors and administrators by these presents the said Josiah Leith and Rachel his wife, have granted _____sold aleined released and Confirmed and by these presents do grant bargain sole_____release and confirm unto the said Joseph Howey his heirs and assigns forever a certain tract of Land Conveyed by Thomas Dodson to Josiah Leith containing one hundred and ninety seven acres and Three Quarters more or less and being on Cunningham's Run in the county of Shenandoah and State of Virginia and bounded as followeth viz; Beginning at a Black oak Marked on four sides at the head of a hollow N 72 W 84(?) poles to a small Black oak on the side of a hill thence S 38 ___(?) 150 poles to a chestnut and a chestnut Oak at the top of a hill thence ___(?) 15 E 172 poles to a White oak by Sheffer's (?) ___(?) thence to N 150 poles to the Beginning and all houses buildings orchards ways water and water courses profits _____(?) _____(?) Appurtenances whatsoever to the said premises hereby granted or assigned thereof belonging or _____(?) and also all the Estate right title interest in trust properly and demand Whatsoever of the said Josiah Leith of in and to the said Premises and all deeds Evidences and Writings touching or in any wise concerning the _____(?) To have and to hold the Lands hereby conveyed and all and any _____(?) _____(?) of their appurtenances unto the said Joseph Howey his heirs and assigns forever to the only _____(?) use and _____(?) of the said Joseph Howey and of his heirs and assigns forever and the said Josiah Leith and Rachel his wife for themselves their heirs Executors and Administrators doth covenant promise and grant to and with the said Joseph Howey his heirs and assigns by these presents that the said Josiah Leith and Rachel his wife are now at the time of sealing and delivery of these presents are _____(?) of good sure perfect and indivisable(?) Estate of Inheritance of fee simple of and in the premises hereby granted and

"Released and that they hath good power and lawful and absolute authority to grant and to Convey to the said Joseph Howey [his heirs and assigns the above mentioned 197 _ acres of Land} and from Aforesaid and that the said premises now are and so forever hereafter shall remain and be free and clear of and from all _____(?) and other gifts grants bargains sales dower right and debts of dower Judgements,

"Executions title troubles charges and encumbrances whatsoever made done committed or suffered by the said Josiah Leith and Rachel his wife and their heirs and assigns and any other person or persons whatsoever And Lastly that the said Josiah Leith and Rachel his wife and their heirs do warrant the above mentioned tract of land against them and their heirs and all and singular the premises hereby granted and released with the appurtenances unto the said Joseph Howey his heirs and Assigns against them the said Josiah Leith and Rachel his wife and their heirs and every other person and persons whatsoever shall warrant and forever defend by these presents in _____(?) whereof the said Josiah Leith hath hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above said.

"Signed Sealed & Delivered

Josiah Leith seal

"In the presence of

James Matthews

Jeremiah McKay"

"Josiah Leath's will was proved 3 Nov 1789 (Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas, Greene Co., Tenn, Book 1783 -95. p. 136). The will was written 7 Nov. 1782 but has not been located among Greene Co. records. His widow, now Mrs. Elizabeth Matthews, is named as Administratix (Ibid., p. 182). Jeremiah Matthews (also Mathes) was appointed guardian of Josiah's son Josiah (Ibid, p. 208). Josiah's widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Leath, had md. (2) 9 Oct 1788, Greene Co., NC (now Tenn.), to Jeremiah Mathes (originally Matthews), the son of Alexander and Grizzie Mathews of Shenandoah Co., VA Jeremiah was a brother to Alexander Mathes, Jr., who married Josiah Leath's younger sister Ann Leath. Jeremiah and Elizabeth Mathes had one child, a daughter Polly Mathes, b. ca. 1789, Greene Co., Tenn., and md. 19 Aug. 1806, Jefferson Co., Tenn, to George Doherty, Jr. George Jr. was the son of General George Doherty and his 1st wife Priscilla Goforth, and a younger brother to Rachel Doherty who married Polly Mathes older half-brother, Josiah Leath, Jr."

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S50 http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=worldmarr_ga&h=345868&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt
2. ↑ Jasper Yeates, Charles Smith, William Duane, reporters. Reports of Cases Adjudged in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Vol. 2. Philadelpia, PA: J. Campbell, 1871. GoogleBooks Page 168ff

• Source: S07451 Title: PA Archives

• Source: S50 Author: Yates Publishing Title: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.Original data - This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was deriv; Repository: #R1
• Repository: R1 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com E-Mail Address: Phone Number: